For the first time, El Dorado High School in the Socorro Independent School District has advanced to the 2024 UIL 5A State Marching Band Championship on Nov. 4 in San Antonio. The Aztec band qualified after delivering a phenomenal performance at the UIL Area 5A Marching Band Contest on Oct. 26.
Band Director Cesar Hinojos thanked Team SISD and the community for their unwavering support of the Aztec band. He emphasized that the students were excited about competing at the state level for the first time.
“We have a very special group of kids and it's an amazing core. So, we had confidence,” Hinojos said. “The kids are going to do amazing. Our group of kids are extremely resilient, and they rise to any occasion. Just the fact that they're going to be in the Alamodome and performing, I think they're really going to do well and shine as much as they can.”
El Dorado High School will compete against 38 high school marching bands from across Texas at the Alamodome in San Antonio. The 5A bands will perform in the preliminary round on Nov. 4, and the top-performing groups will advance to the finals on Nov. 5.
“Aztec Band is State Bound and we can’t hide our Aztec Pride,” Principal Venessa Bentancourt posted on her X social media feed. “Thank you for being the light for our musicians.”
The band’s 176 members will perform the show titled “Golden Hour,” which was inspired by the first hour after sunrise. Their performance will include the song “Golden Hour” by JVKE. The band will be directed by Hinojos, Annie Aguilar, and Anthony Yrigoyen.